Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

Hello,

It was with a grim sense of foreboding that I opened my JET letter, as I knew what was inside. Rejection.

Coupled with a slew of bad personal news, I didn't think February could get any worse but yesterday I received an email from Interact inviting me to telephone interview tomorrow. I submitted my application a long time ago and as the initial email told me that if I didn't hear back then I wasn't successful, I assumed the worse several months back!

I've had a look at some past threads but they're pretty old (unless I missed one) so wanted to ask the enlightened here if they could give me and heads up on what is likely to be asked or are the questions always the same;

Re: Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

Yo enlight85,

Sorry for the bad news, congrats on the semi-happier news.
Former Interac Interviewer (to people already in Japan) here. For people in Japan, we had a much more free form interview process. People in Fukuoka probably were receiving vastly different interviews than the people in Tokyo for example. But its basically the same stuff. Off the top of my head here's a few questions we sometimes asked, but remember you might totally different ones, but I know at this stage you're hungry for info so I'll try to help.

Why Japan?
What do you want to accomplish in Japan?
What if I offered you food you didn't like in school, what would you do? Even natto.
Where do you want to work in Japan?
If you see students fighting in one of your classes, what will you do?
Who is the Prime Minister of Japan? <--- Useless question I never asked. But if you don't know it make a joke. Say Obama.
Can you count to 10 in Japanese? <--- Useless question I never asked. I would usually just say write your name in Japanese on the interview form to check for any interest in learning Japanese.
What will you be most nervous about if you get hired to work in Japan?

For me the answers were like 25% of the interview and the other 75% was just how the interview acted. Smiling, eye contact, you know all the stuff interview websites tell you to do. Getting everyone to laugh was huge since as you know, being an ALT can be like being a clown/comedian/performing monkey at times.

If you have any other questions I'd be happy to help but the main thing is just be yourself and relax, which I know are the hardest things to do.

Re: Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

Originally Posted by ALTInsiderFY

Yo enlight85,

Sorry for the bad news, congrats on the semi-happier news.
Former Interac Interviewer (to people already in Japan) here. For people in Japan, we had a much more free form interview process. People in Fukuoka probably were receiving vastly different interviews than the people in Tokyo for example. But its basically the same stuff. Off the top of my head here's a few questions we sometimes asked, but remember you might totally different ones, but I know at this stage you're hungry for info so I'll try to help.

Why Japan?
What do you want to accomplish in Japan?
What if I offered you food you didn't like in school, what would you do? Even natto.
Where do you want to work in Japan?
If you see students fighting in one of your classes, what will you do?
Who is the Prime Minister of Japan? <--- Useless question I never asked. But if you don't know it make a joke. Say Obama.
Can you count to 10 in Japanese? <--- Useless question I never asked. I would usually just say write your name in Japanese on the interview form to check for any interest in learning Japanese.
What will you be most nervous about if you get hired to work in Japan?

For me the answers were like 25% of the interview and the other 75% was just how the interview acted. Smiling, eye contact, you know all the stuff interview websites tell you to do. Getting everyone to laugh was huge since as you know, being an ALT can be like being a clown/comedian/performing monkey at times.

If you have any other questions I'd be happy to help but the main thing is just be yourself and relax, which I know are the hardest things to do.

Good luck.

This is really excellent and much more generous than I expected. Thank you.

There has been plenty wrong with the last few months but I'm optimistic that this may mark a turning point and I look forward to keeping you up to date with my progress. I am a positive person so hopefully that will come across on the call. Let's see how tomorrow goes...

Re: Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

I remember that I interviewed with them way back in the day and after the telephone interview I went to an in-person interview where they made you do a sample lesson. They are looking for friendly, upbeat and happy people to put in front of the classroom, so your attitude is probably the most important thing. Laugh and smile on the phone. The person listening can hear your smile. Read a bunch of sample interview questions to yourself (just google some) and practice answering them out loud and you should be fine.

Re: Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

If you hadn't gotten an interview offer with Interac, you shouldn't even be consider going to Japan. Maybe a special needs school.
But since you got one, just think of the most basic questions ever. It's hard to make yourself look good over the phone. "How do you think you'd benefit the school?" "I'll engage in the community and will try to promote international exchange as well as try to encourage children to really like English." If you can't say some stuff like that, please give it up.

Re: Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

No one ever said Bird was a nice guy, he's a little bitter but overall a good person.

And I don't wanna be "that" guy, but there are a few Interac threads already.

The interview sounds like the JET one, minus the cultural aspects.

Thanks for your reply!

I did see some threads around the interview but they were several years old. If I missed one, can you point me in the direction - I didn't see a sticky or anything, but I am new so might be missing the obvious! I'd hate to be adding to clutter, even though some of the support so far has been great.

Re: Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

Originally Posted by enlight85

Thanks for your reply!

I did see some threads around the interview but they were several years old. If I missed one, can you point me in the direction - I didn't see a sticky or anything, but I am new so might be missing the obvious! I'd hate to be adding to clutter, even though some of the support so far has been great.

Aha! My fellow UK JET reject, how did your business with Interac go? I just had my phone interview, nothing unexpected, other than my interviewer running out of paper because she was making so many notes about me. Can't have been all that bad since she told me I'll get an email about a seminar, although I feel I flustered on one question, and I think she would have preferred it if I could drive!

Re: Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

Originally Posted by kmep0

Aha! My fellow UK JET reject, how did your business with Interac go? I just had my phone interview, nothing unexpected, other than my interviewer running out of paper because she was making so many notes about me. Can't have been all that bad since she told me I'll get an email about a seminar, although I feel I flustered on one question, and I think she would have preferred it if I could drive!

Hey! I've been invited to York on the 13th so currently preparing.

It was a fairly relaxed chat with a nice lady from Oxford for me. She was asking lots of questions about my expectations of Japan. It was all very straightforward!

Re: Interac Opportunity - Advice sought

It was a fairly relaxed chat with a nice lady from Oxford for me. She was asking lots of questions about my expectations of Japan. It was all very straightforward!

I'm sure you did well if you had them writing off the page!

That sounds good, I'm glad things are progressing for you. How long was it after the phone call that they sent you get the seminar email? I applied to ECC and Peppy Kids but I'm more interested in being in a high school rather than an eikaiwa.